Teen charged with making false report about gun at Matanzas High School

The boy, a 17-year-old, admitted to a deputy that he'd made up a story about seeing a gun at school Nov. 9.

Deputies arrested a 17-year-old Matanzas High School student Nov. 9 after he falsely reported seeing a gun on campus, according to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.

The teen told another student he’d seen someone in the school's rear parking lot put a gun into a car. No one had reportedly been threatened, but deputies locked down the parking lot and searched the area, according to a Sheriff's Office news release.

The Sheriff's Office sent in K-9 Jax — an explosives detection dog — to help, but didn't find a gun.

A detective interviewed the 17-year-old afterward, and the teen admitted that he'd made up the story and hadn't seen a gun at the campus.

“We take all reported incidents seriously,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in the news release. “We moved quickly to ensure the safety of the students and teachers and put a lot of resources into this investigation. Ultimately, the report was unfounded, which we are grateful for; however, filing a false report is against the law and a waste of taxpayer dollars.”

The teen was arrested and booked at the county jail, then released to his parents, according to the news release.